Pico da Praia

The trail starts on the Ribeira da Praia path and follows the southern slope of Serra de Água de Pau. As it connects the municipalities of Vila Franca do Campo and Lagoa, you can adjust it to the time you have available and your fitness level, choosing between several walking options along the route.

The name comes from an elevation with 598 metres of altitude, the Pico da Praia. It was formed by the accumulation of pumice pyroclasts ejected by the Fogo volcano and was later sculpted by the erosion of the streams surrounding it. It stands out from other elevations because of the mantle of cryptomeria trees that covers it.

Next to a small dam that supplies the Central Nova Hydroelectric Plant, you can make a 5 km detour (return trip) via the PRC02SMI, following the water channel to the southern shore of Lagoa do Fogo, classified as a Natural Reserve and geosite of the Açores Geopark. This is also a trail with significant hydrological heritage: along the way you’ll find the water intake and conveyance systems that supply Lagoa and Ponta Delgada, the Ribeiras das Três Voltas and dos Passarinhos, and the ruins of the old Linen Factory of Pico da Praia, where the New Zealand flax leaf (Phormium tenax) was processed into fibres for rope-making and coarse textiles.

The landscape is distinctly agroforestry, with the contrast between the dark green patches of forest and the light green of permanent pastures so typical of the Azores countryside. At higher elevations, the heathland reveals natural flora of the Açores, such as heather (Erica azorica), ling (Calluna vulgaris) or bilberry (Vaccinium cylindraceum). In the more open clearings, you can see the Pico da Praia and a wide panorama over the coastline, with the Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo standing out at sea, the one that Gaspar Frutuoso described as “the most beautiful islet in the islands”.

Because it follows the mid-slope and crosses quite a lot of forest area, it’s a good choice for both misty days and hot days, when you climb in the shelter of the trees’ shade. It’s recommended to walk it in the counter-clockwise direction.